Bubble top and extender for hopper

ABSTRACT

A bubble top and height-extender element for use on a hopper such as a seed hopper in agricultural applications includes a bubble top or lid for mounting on the hopper or on an extender element positioned on the hopper, to facilitate additional seed or other material containment in the hopper. When used, the extender element is interposed between the bubble top or lid and the hopper itself, for increasing the carrying capacity of the hopper. In a preferred embodiment the bubble top or lid is utilized on a conventional hopper with or without the extender to increase the volume of seed, fungicide, pesticide or other material loaded in the hopper and thus reduce the labor costs and time required for distributing the material on a field to be seeded or treated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to agricultural hoppers for containing seed,fungicide, pesticide and other elements typically used in agriculturalapplications. More particularly, the invention relates to a new andimproved bubble top or lid and an optional height-extender element forplacement on conventional hoppers to increase the capacity of thehoppers and therefore reduce labor and equipment costs and time forapplying the seed, fungicide, pesticide or other particulate material toa field.

One of the problems realized in applying seed, fungicide, pesticide andother materials on a field to be seeded or treated using conventionalagricultural hoppers is that of having to frequently refill the hopperswhen the materials are depleted after application to the field.Typically, these hoppers are of conventional size and shape and eachcontains a specific volume of seed or other material for application tothe field. Frequent refilling of the hoppers necessitates higher laborand equipment repair costs and loss of time due to the requirement of sooften returning to a source of supply and back to the field forapplication of the materials to the field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention includes a bubble top or lid and an optional hopperheight-extender element for placement on conventional seed hoppers andsimilar hoppers configured and sized for carrying and distributing othermaterials such as fungicide, pesticide and the like, typically on afield in agricultural applications. The invention includes applicationof the bubble top or lid by itself, or the extender and the bubble topor lid in combination, to the top of a conventional hopper in order toincrease the material-carrying capacity of the hopper to a selectedextent. Accordingly, in one embodiment of the invention both the bubbletop or lid and the extender element can be configured for use on aconventional hopper of selected size, shape and capacity to optimize theamount of seed, fungicide, pesticide or other material that can becarried by the hopper for application to the field. This increasedvolume of seed or other material carried by the hopper results inreduced labor costs, time of application and equipment wear and tear,since it minimizes the number of hopper refillings that are necessaryfor covering a field of any given size.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the bubble topor lid of this invention designed for mounting with an extender elementon the top of a conventional seed hopper, illustrated in phantom;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view, partially in section, of a conventional topor lid fitted on the top of a conventional seed hopper for containingseed or other material within the hopper;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the bubble top or lid and extendercombination on the hopper illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the bubble top or lid and extendercombination on the hopper illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view, partially in section, of the bubble top orlid and extender combination illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 1, of a segmentof the bubble top or lid and extender element combination positioned ona conventional seed hopper in functional configuration for containing asupply of seed;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bubble top or lid of this inventionin functional configuration on the top of a seed hopper without aheight-extender element;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 7 of a segmentof the bubble lid or top in place on a seed hopper in a matching rimconfiguration; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a portion of the bubble top or lid inplace on a seed hopper in a non-matching rim configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring initially to FIG. 2 of the drawings, a conventional hopper forcarrying materials such as seed, fungicide, pesticide and likeagricultural materials is illustrated in phantom by reference numeral 15and has a hopper interior 15 a of selected capacity and a hopper rim 15b, which is typically downwardly-curved from the hopper sides 16 andhopper ends 17, around the perimeter thereof. The hopper sides 16 aretypically larger than the hopper ends 17 and the hopper 15 is typicallyconstructed of a plastic material such as polyethylene or polypropylene.The hopper ends 17 typically include hopper end cleats 18, typicallyattached to the hopper 15 by means of end cleat rivets 20 and fittedwith downwardly-depending end cleat legs 19. The curved end cleat legs19 are designed to removably receive and retain the respective band legs9 of a pair of elastic bands 8, the top ends of which are each securedto the conventional lid top 13 of the conventional lid 11, typically bymeans of edge cleats 5, mounted by cleat rivets 6. Accordingly, when theconventional lid 11 is seated on the hopper 15, the pair of elasticbands 8, each fitted to the conventional lid top 13 of the conventionallid 11, are extended around the conventional lid rim 12 on both ends tothe hopper end cleats 18, where the respective band legs 9 are seated inthe corresponding end cleat legs 19.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3-6 of the drawings, in a preferredembodiment the bubble top or lid element of this invention is generallyillustrated by reference numeral 1. The bubble top or lid 1 ischaracterized by a top plate 2 having a downwardly-extending plate edge4 around the perimeter thereof and a plate bubble 3 of selected size,shape and transparency extending upwardly from near the perimeter of theplate edge 4, as further illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings. As inthe case of the conventional lid 11 illustrated in FIG. 2, the top plate2 of the bubble top or lid 1 typically mounts a pair ofoppositely-disposed edge cleats 5, each typically mounted on the plateedge 4 of the bubble top or lid 1 in the center of the longest sidedimension thereof for securing one end of an elastic band 8, theopposite end of which elastic band 8 is fitted with a band leg 9. Theband leg 9 is adapted for seating in the projecting anddownwardly-curved end cleat legs 19 on the respective hopper end cleats18 attached to the hopper sides 16, respectively, of the conventionalhopper 15 (illustrated in phantom), generally in the same manner as theconventional lid 11 illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

In the embodiments of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3-6 ofthe drawings an extender 24 of selected size and shaped to conform tothe hopper 15 is interposed between the bubble top or lid 1 and theconventional hopper 15. The extender 24 is typically characterized by anextender edge 25, having a downwardly-extending edge extension 25 a(FIG. 6) and an extender rim 26 that is typically curved to define aconcave extender rim seat 27, which engages the correspondingly curvedtop edge of the hopper rim 15 b (FIG. 6). The edge extension 25 aextends downwardly beyond the extender rim 26 to define a perimeterextension which fits inside the conventional hopper 15. Accordingly, itwill be appreciated from a consideration of FIGS. 5 and 6 of thedrawings, that the seed 22 (FIG. 2) or other particulate materiallocated inside the conventional hopper 15 can be initially loaded wellbeyond the top edge of the hopper 15, to the top rim of the extenderedge 25 of the extender 24. The seed 22 can thus be loaded upwardly inthe interior of the extender 24 and then “topped off” and mounded to fitthe hollow or concave interior of the plate bubble 3 in the bubble topor lid 1, as further illustrated in FIGS. 3-5 of the drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3-8 of the drawings, it will be appreciatedthat the bubble top or lid 1 and the extender 24 can be configured onthe conventional hopper 15 to operate in concert and facilitate anincreased capacity of seed 22 or other material to be loaded in thehopper 15 and thus minimize the time expended and the number of tripsthat need to be made from the field back to a supply depot or area forreloading of the hopper 15 (FIGS. 1 and 3-6). Alternatively, the plateedge 4 of the bubble top or lid 1 can be configured in the same manneras the extender rim 26 of the extender 24 and fitted directly to thehopper rim 15 b of the hopper 15, (FIGS. 7 and 8), thus eliminating theextender 24, if reduced additional capacity of the seed 22 or othermaterial is required for loading in the hopper 15. However, in apreferred embodiment of the invention both the bubble top or lid 1 andthe extender 24 are utilized as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3-6 of thedrawings to optimize and maximize the quantity of seed 22 or otherparticulate material that can be loaded into the hopper 15, thusminimizing the cost and time involved in re-supplying the hopper 15 whenit is desired to distribute the seed or other material on a field.Furthermore, it will also be understood that the extender 24 can beremovably fitted to the hopper 15 or permanently attached by rivets orother fasteners, as desired.

Referring again to FIGS. 7 and 8 and to FIG. 9 of the drawings, inanother preferred embodiment of the invention the bubble top or lid 1 isconfigured as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3-6, with a plate bubble 3 ofselected size and shape and having a depending plate edge 4 thatsubstantially matches the hopper rim 15 b (FIGS. 7 and 8) or fitsdirectly over the hopper rim 15 b without any rim curvature such as theextender rim seat 27 in the extender rim 26 of the extender 24 (FIG. 9).This latter configuration of the bubble top or lid 1 facilitatesadaptation to a hopper 15 having an extender rim 26 of any conventionaldesign.

It will be further appreciated by those skilled in the art that both thebubble top or lid 1 and the extender 24 of this invention can beconstructed of a plastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene orthe like, in the same manner and of the same or a different material asthe hopper 15 and can be configured to the particular dimensions thehopper 15. The hopper 15 is typically constructed in a generallyrectangular cross-sectional configuration, but may be constructed in thecross-sectional shape of other polygons and may also be round, oval orelliptical in configuration, or the like, according to the respectivemanufacturer's specifications. Under each of these circumstances, boththe bubble top or lid 1 and the extender 24 can be configured in likemanner, to individually and collectively fit over the hopper 15 in themanner illustrated in the drawings and described above.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been describedabove, it will be recognized and understood that various modificationsmay be made in the invention and the appended claims are intended tocover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scopeof the invention.

1. a bubble top and height extender for a hopper, comprising an extenderelement for seating on the hopper; a lid or top positioned on theextender element; and a bubble element provided in said lid or top forincreasing the capacity of the hopper.
 2. The bubble top and heightextender of claim 1 wherein the hopper has a curved hopper rim andcomprising a curved extender rim provided on said extender element forengaging the curved hopper rim and supporting said extender element onthe hopper.
 3. The bubble top and height extender of claim 1 comprisingat least one latching element provided on said lid or top and whereinthe hopper has at least one receiving element for receiving saidlatching element and removably securing said lid or top on said extenderelement.
 4. The bubble top and height extender of claim 3 wherein thehopper has a curved hopper rim and comprising a curved extender rimprovided on said extender element for engaging the curved hopper rim andsupporting said extender element on the hopper.
 5. A bubble top forremovably fitting on a hopper, comprising a lid or top configured to fitthe hopper and a bubble element provided in said lid or top forincreasing the capacity of the hopper.
 6. The bubble top of claim 5comprising at least one latching element provided on said lid or top andwherein the hopper has at least one receiving element for receiving saidlatching element and removably securing said lid or top on the hopper.7. The bubble top of claim 5 wherein the hopper has a curved hopper rimand comprising a curved top rim provided on said lid or top for engagingthe curved hopper rim and supporting said lid or top on the hopper. 8.The bubble top of claim 7 comprising at least one latching elementprovided on said lid or top and wherein the hopper has at least onereceiving element for receiving said latching element and removablysecuring said lid or top on the hopper.
 9. The bubble top of claim 5comprising an extender element interposed between said bubble top andthe hopper.
 10. The bubble top of claim 9 wherein the hopper has acurved hopper rim and comprising a curved extender rim provided on saidextender element for engaging the curved hopper rim and supporting saidextender element on said hopper.
 11. The bubble top of claim 10comprising at least one latching element provided on said lid or top andwherein the hopper has at least one receiving element for receiving saidlatching element and removably securing said lid or top on the hopper.12. A bubble top and extender for a hopper having a top rim, comprisingan extender element of selected size removably fitted on the top rim ofthe hopper and a bubble top or lid removably seated on said extenderelement for increasing the capacity of the hopper.
 13. The bubble topand extender of claim 12 wherein the top rim of the hopper is a curvedhopper rim and comprising a curved extender rim provided on saidextender element for engaging the curved hopper rim and supporting saidextender element on the hopper.
 14. The bubble top and extender of claim12 comprising at least one pair of latching elements provided on saidbubble top or lid and wherein the hopper has at least one pair ofreceiving elements for receiving said latching elements and removablysecuring said bubble top or lid on said extender element and saidextender element on the hopper.
 15. The bubble top and extender of claim14 wherein the top rim of the hopper is a curved hopper rim andcomprising a curved extender rim provided on said extender for engagingthe curved hopper rim and supporting said extender element on thehopper.